The reality of a hurricane named Sandy

Wednesday

Oct 31, 2012 at 12:01 AMOct 31, 2012 at 2:42 PM

The thought of a hurricane threatening North Carolina in late October simply doesnít make sense.

Ken Buday, Havelock News

The thought of a hurricane threatening North Carolina in late October simply doesnít make sense. Iíve been around long enough to know our hurricanes come from the middle of August through the end of September.

But threaten Sandy did. We talked to a number of officials who used words like "lucky" to describe the unique path the storm took around North Carolina before slamming into New Jersey and New York.

The potential of flooding rain, winds that could knock down trees and cause power outages, and storm surge that could bring the Neuse River into nearby homes never materialized.

Still, the Outer Banks took another heavy hit, but the most damage seems to have been done in New Jersey and New York.

The reality is the storm was a monster and affected states such as Florida, as you would expect, but to think places such as Ohio, Michigan, and West Virginia felt the effects from this storm is hard to imagine.

It is good to know that George and Patty Aswad are attempting a relief effort. The owners of Crabby Pattyís restaurant on East Main Street have relatives who lost homes in New York. They are collecting canned food, bottled water and other supplies to drive up to the Northeast. Iím sure other local relief efforts are in the works, too.

Many times over the years we in this area have been recipients of such help. Itís nice to know that we are willing to give as much, if not more, than we receive.

I didnít want to believe Sandy was a real threat. The reality is that the storm was a major threat. Iíll consider it a lesson learned, and Iíll be ready should there be another October surprise.

Ken Buday is the editor and general manager of the Havelock News. He can be reached at 444-1999 or at ken.buday@havenews.com.